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Reviews
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006)
Literally a wonderful gaming experience
My husband got Elder Scrolls: Oblivion because he was a big fan of Morrowind. I myself, not so big a fan, but only because I never really got into the game. He carefully researched and got a new video card recommended by the game requirements, an Invidia 7800GS. I wouldn't play this game unless you had a video card & processor capable of handling it. Otherwise it's move the cursor, wait a minute, move the cursor, etc.
Now that being said, it is positively one of the most fun games I've played in a long time. I never really got into Morrowind or any of the other elder scrolls games. I recognized that they were fantastic games, but I never really enjoyed them. I have taken the computer away from my husband. From the minutiae of detail you can infuse into your character, to the AI response to your actions, the scope of the landscape.. the weather changes, the leaves moving.. the deer prancing in the distance that you can actually hunt.. It's amazing.
I've only done one or two of the quests.. and just started roaming into one of the many little dungeons. I thought it would just be bandits, but got farther down and started finding secret caverns.. light play is amazing. I stumbled into an underground chamber and was amazed by the lighting and the details.. until the bones started walking towards me. It was eerily creepy and wonderfully immersive.
I definitely would recommend this game for the PC for the module creations as well. I look forward to getting player made modules off the internet and seeing what other people are enjoying about this game.
10/10
Thief: Deadly Shadows (2004)
Very Immersive
I've started a lot of video games, generally after sitting and watching my husband play them first.. They always look so fun, but once I start playing them, I just get bored.
My husband was playing Thief1 & 2 when they first rolled out.. I started both, but never finished. By the time I got to the 2nd chapter, boredom set in, and I just never got immersed in it. I did however, get immersed into some of the wonderful player made modules made for this wonderfully open sourced game.. there is a whole cultish following out there still making wonderful missions for this game.. but I digress.
Thief 3 was given to my husband for his birthday by a gleeful daughter and myself. He never picked it up.. Never had time to, between blogging and Doom 3, which was a family event at the time. So, about 4 months ago, I decided to give it a go..
By the second location, I was hooked. Completely immersed in the character as FPS. The sounds were fantastic.. The loading times were long but they were also in the first two. I mean, look at the scope of each section.. might take a minute for your computer to get a handle on it. I did the whole faction thing too. That has to be the coolest addition to the game. And I was seriously creeped out by the cradle.. I wound up killing most everyone in the game.. didn't get all the loot, but had a heck of a good time. Ask my husband, who had to endure listening to cut scenes over and over while I reloaded and tried it a different way..
Hehehe.. it is so good, that this girl with the attention span of a ferret, is giving it another go... with the intention of not killing a single person. *sigh* it's already taking longer, but hey.. as a master thief, I should never be seen until I'm at my fence.. as the guard would say as he's re sheathing the sword "must have been the wind"..
Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)
In response to comments
This is in response to so many people that I have seen comment on this movie. This movie is made for people of all ages. I own a great deal of anime and animation, eagerly anticipate new ones coming out and 100% of the time, I truly believe in the original language with subtitles. Most of the emotion carried in drama is not just the words that are spoken, but in the intonation of HOW they are spoken. This carries with every animation I watch as well as live-action movies. I was utterly disgusted with Crouching Tiger-Hidden Dragon for their atrocious dubbing. However, with a movie like Spirited Away, it is truly a family movie, and I knew my little girl would be enchanted by it. Can she read fast enough for subtitles? No. Can she understand Japanese? No. I was very pleased with the fact that it was even released in the United States and that she got to opportunity to see it on a big screen. Though a long movie for a six year old, she was rapt. She loved it so much she insisted on giving it to her friend for her birthday. This film is important because it introduces a whole new genre of art to a lot of people that would never have recognized it. Second, it cannot be compared to Ghost in the Shell, or Princess Mononoke, etc. It is a whole different kind of genre. Do you compare Lawrence of Arabia with Citizen Kane or the Matrix? Ghost in the Shell is one of the best anime's I've ever seen. So is Spirited Away. So is Princess Mononoke. So is Cowboy Bebop. So is Akira. So is Blood. And so is Furi Kuri. You just can't compare them because they are different genres. Also, No Face was attracted to Chihiro because she was kind to him.
I recommend Spirited Away to everyone, families, friends. *spoiler* If for no other reason that it is a poignant story of a girl finding her own strength. All those seemingly non connected vignettes are very connected with her finding her own spirit. This is not a movie about a little girl finding her parents. It's about a girl finding herself.
Possibly one of the cleanest and most beautiful anime's I've seen in a long time.
Personally, my favorites were the soot creatures.